List of oldest buildings in the United Kingdom

This article lists the oldest extant freestanding buildings in the United Kingdom. In order to qualify for the list a structure must: be a recognisable building either incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least in height and/or be a listed building. incorporate features of building work of the above nature that date from no later than AD 1300. Roads are excluded although other structures such as bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfil the above criteria.

Before 500 BC Building Location Date built Notes Knap of Howar Papa Westray, Orkney, Scotland 3800 BCWickham-Jones, Caroline (2007) Orkney: A Historical Guide. Edinburgh. Birlinn. p. 40.https://www.papawestray.co.uk/history/knap-of-howar.html A Neolithic farmstead, probably the oldest preserved stone house in northern Europe."Knap of Howar" Historic Scotland. Retrieved 23 September 2011."The Knap o' Howar, Papay". Orkneyjar. Retrieved 13 July 2012. West Kennet Long Barrow Wiltshire, England 3650 BC Passage grave located near Silbury Hill and Avebury stone circle."West Kennet Long Barrow, Avebury" English Heritage. Retrieved 15 July 2012. Midhowe Chambered Cairn Rousay, Orkney, Scotland 3500 BCA well-preserved example of the Orkney-Cromarty type of chambered cairn."The Midhowe Stalled Cairn, Rousay". Orkneyjar. Retrieved 13 July 2012.Trethevy QuoitTremar, Cornwall3700 - 3500 BCA well preserved Neolithic dolmen in Cornwall. It is regarded as one of the most impressive in Britain. This chamber tomb is dated from the Neolithic or late Stone Age, and may have been built around 3500 BC. It is sited on a promontory overlooking the confluence of streams which flow southwards to become the River Seaton; the northern skyline is dominated by Caradon Hill and granite massif of Bodmin Moor. Pentre Ifan Nanhyfer, Pembrokeshire, Wales 3500 BCThe largest and best preserved Neolithic dolmen in Wales. Tomb of the Eagles South Ronaldsay, Orkney, Scotland 3150 BCThis chambered tomb was in use for 800 years or more. 16,000 human bones were found here, as well as 725 bird bones, predominantly white-tailed sea eagle."Tomb of the Eagles" tomboftheeagles.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2008. Skara Brae Bay of Skaill, Mainland Orkney, Scotland 3100 BC A large stone-built Neolithic village on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland 3180 BC–2500 BC. Europe's most complete Neolithic village with a high level of preservation and sophistication including furnishings and drainage.Hawkes 1986, p. 262Unstan Chambered Cairn Stenness, Mainland Orkney, Scotland 3400–2800 BCAn Orkney-Cromarty chambered cairn. Belas Knap Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England 3000 BC A Neolithic long barrow with what appears to be the main entrance, with intricate dry-stone walling and large limestone jambs and lintels is, in fact, a false one. The actual burial chambers are down the long east and west sides of the barrow and at its southern foot. There are four burial chambers, two on opposite sides near the middle, one at the south-east angle and one at the south end. These are formed of upright stone slabs, linked by dry-stone walling and originally had corbelled roofs. Maeshowe Stenness, Mainland Orkney, Scotland 2700 BCA large and unique chambered cairn and passage grave, aligned so that its central chamber is illuminated on the winter solstice."Maeshowe". Orkneyjar. Retrieved 11 February 2008. Barnhouse Settlement Stenness, Mainland Orkney, Scotland 2600 BCA Neolithic settlement."Barnhouse Settlement". Orkneyjar. Retrieved 11 February 2008.GrimspoundDartmoor, Devon, England1300 BCA late Bronze Age settlement composed of stone houses and a surrounding wall.

500 BC to AD 500 Building Location Date built Notes Jarlshof Sumburgh, Shetland, Scotland200 BCA complex of preserved wheelhouses, amongst the remains of a variety of much older and more recent buildings."Jarlshof Prehistoric & Norse Settlement" Historic Scotland. Retrieved 2 August 2008.Armit, Ian (1991) The Atlantic Scottish Iron Age: five levels of chronology. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 121 page 193 Broch of Mousa Mousa, Shetland, Scotland 1st century BC Located on a small island in Shetland, this is the best preserved of numerous brochs from this period.Fojut, Noel (1981)"Is Mousa a broch?" Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot. 111 pp. 220–228. Bartlow Hills Bartlow Hills in Ashdon Parish Essex near Bartlow, Cambridgeshire. 1st–2nd Century A Roman tumuli cemetery. There were originally seven Bartlow mounds. The tallest at 15 metres in height is the largest barrow north of the Alps. Viroconium Wroxeter, Shropshire 1st–2nd Century Remains of Roman masonry including a substantial freestanding element from the bathhouse. Temple of Claudius, Colchester Colchester, Essex, England The substantial podium and vaults are of the Roman temple (of Camulodunum, capital of Roman Britain). The Norman castle above dates from c. 1076.Colchester Castle, Essex , InfoBritain.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-21. Vinovia Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England mid 70s AD Remains of a Roman Fort and settlement. Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre Caerleon, Newport, Wales A well preserved Roman amphitheatre, oval in shape with eight entrances, used during the Roman settlement period at Isca Augusta for events with a capacity of around six thousand. Accompanied by other features from the period including the Caerleon Roman baths and other recovered items preserved at the Welsh National Roman Legion Museum in the town. Balkerne Gate Colchester, Essex, England The remainder of the gateway through the Roman wall of Colchester is the largest surviving gateway in Roman Britain.M. R. Hull, "Short Guide to Roman Colchester" Roman lighthouse at Dover Castle Dover, Kent 1st centuryOne of the three remaining Roman lighthouses in the world, from the ancient port of Dubris. Hardknott Roman Fort Cumbria c. 120–138 A Roman fort on the west side of Hardknott pass. 'Walls Castle' Ravenglass, Cumbria Remains of Roman bathhouse: one of the largest remaining Roman structures in Britain Hadrian's Wall Northern England A Roman defensive fortification. Housesteads Roman Fort Hexham, Northumberland, England The remains of an auxiliary fort along Hadrian’s Wall. Jewry Wall Leicester, Leicestershire, England The Jewry Wall is a substantial ruined wall of 2nd-century Roman masonry, with two large archways, in Leicester, England. It formed the west wall of a public building in Ratae Corieltauvorum (Roman Leicester), alongside public baths, the foundations of which were excavated in the 1930s and are also open to view. Edin's Hall Broch Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland Substantial broch, sited on a much earlier hill fort. One of a very few built south of the Highlands and Islands.RCAHMS Canmore. Retrieved 30 August 2012 London Wall London, England Significant remains of Roman wall at various locations in Londinium (modern-day London) Painted House Dover, Kent, England Also one of the best preserved Roman houses in Britain Portus Adurni/Portchester Castle Portchester, Hampshire 285–290 Complete remains of large Roman walled fort. The best preserved Roman fort north of the Alps Pevensey Castle Pevensey, East Sussex 280s The outer curtain wall is the remains of the Roman fort called Anderitum. Cardiff Castle Cardiff, Wales The outer curtain wall incorporates sections of the Cardiff Roman Fort. Newport Arch Lincoln 3rd century Intact arch of the former Roman gate. Part of the Roman fortifications around Lindum Colonia (modern-day Lincoln). Multangular Tower and wall York 4th century Surviving parts of the Roman fortifications around Eboracum (modern-day York). Calleva Atrebatum surviving walls Silchester, Hampshire, England 4th century Surviving walls and amphitheater of the Roman city of Calleva Atrebatum (modern-day Silchester).

AD 500 to AD 1000